Malheur NWR First Take 2010

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We are getting settled in well at Malheur. We arrived a little early in the year, so our actual work schedule did not start for a week, so we spent some time getting setup. We had a very pretty day the first Saturday, so we took a tour of the the refuge trying to spot wildlife. We were successful with many birds, not a lot of mammals running around in sight.

These are greater white-fronted geese. Very colorful.

The refuge is 187,000 acres, mostly concentrated along the Donner and Blitzen (Thunder and Lightening in German) river. That many acres along a thin line make the refuge very long. It is 42 miles from the main office to the south end of the refuge. There is a dirt road that travels that length. We only drove the southern half of it. Water is the big attraction for wildlife, and the north end of the refuge is dry(er).

We did have a big dust storm then the next morning, some precipitation in the form of 4 inches of snow on the Monday after we arrived.

We then had two weeks of very cold and snowy weather. This was not part of our expectations of volunteering in the high desert, but mother nature is in control.

Our normal work week is three eight hour days. This year we are doing some strange things with that schedule. We worked two days, then off for four, then ten days in a row. We are now finished with our obligation for April (but we are helping with other projects during our "off time".)

The big thing going on during the 10 days was the annual bird festival in Burns. Snow geese and Ross's geese like the ones in the picture are a main attraction.

The festival is normally the first weekend in April, but because of Easter, it was moved the second weekend. We had a lot of visitors and participated in several events. Sally won a painting during a raffle. And not just any painting, but the one chosen for the printing of the festival posters and flyers. She wanted to win a special bottle of wine, but she seems happy with the prize she got.

Sally also got out to do bird counts. She and the Biologist went on one trip, She and another volunteer on another trip, she even got to go on a special tour. Tom, lazy soul that he is, just covered the visitor center while she was having fun, but we predict payback will happen.

American Avocet - a most photogenic bird.

Tom spotted this hawk - Rough-legged, we believe, though he is a very odd specimen.

Note the adult and baby Great Horned Owl hiding out in the side of a cliff. Lots of raptors here






We will be heading to points west on our days off, Bend and Nehalem State Park. Watch for those posting, they should have a lot of "wildlife". Until then ...